“If we examine our motives honestly, we will usually find that there is some sort of fear inspiring our prayers. We are afraid of something. And we are asking to be protected from whatever we are afraid of.

The fear that inspires us to pray actually gives us the most significant clue in our efforts to understand an unanswered prayer. When our prayers aren’t answered the way we want them to be, we often have to expereience the things of which we were afraid. We are forced to confront our fear.”